‘Assisted dying’ bill will fuel a rise in suicides

'Many disabled people fear that if terminally ill people are encouraged and assisted to commit suicide by a change in the law, they’d be next.' Photograph: Phanie/Alamy

Tomorrow, on 24 June, another “assisted dying” bill reaches parliament, presented by MP Rob Marris.

Most doctors don’t believe assisting patients’ suicides should be part of clinical practice. Those specialising in the care of dying people are almost unanimously opposed. Many disabled people fear that if terminally ill people are encouraged and assisted to commit suicide by a change in the law, they would be next. Oregon, on which this bill is modelled, saw an almost 50% rise in assisted suicides in 2014. In Washington, nearly two-thirds of those supplied with lethal drugs in 2013 gave, as one of their reasons for requesting them, that they wanted to avoid being a burden on others.

Campaigners for assisted suicide here do so for compassionate reasons. But the evidence shows that this change to the criminal law is neither necessary or safe.
Agnes Fletcher
Director, Living and Dying Well

• This letter was amended on 24 June to correct the month that the assisted dying bill reaches parliament.